Giving up the eye-make up - how else to look nicely made up?

[Sageandburrow]

I have a love/hate relationship with eye make-up. I have exceptionally mediocre eyes and whilst a properly "done" smokey eye looks quite good on me it's not a look I can replicate everyday. Instead I tend to half-heartedly whack a bit of shadow on, perhaps some liquid liner if I'm feeling energetic. By the end of the day I'm left with a greasy lid and a smudgey line that no amount of primer will fix. I need to look polished and professional at work and I feel like this lack-lustre eye-routine looks much more sloppy than if I simply didn't wear any eye make up at all.

My eyes and lips are distinctly average, but I'm lucky enough to have pretty excellent bone structure and reasonable skin. I'd like to focus my make up on creating really fantastic base (flawless but not cakey, nicely highlighted and defined but not overly contoured) and then just define my brows, slick on some mascara and head out the door rather than battling with shadow and eyeliner every day.

Problem is I'm very pale. Current skin routine consists of moisturiser, NO7 foundation and a bit of apricot blusher. Sometimes some MAC highlighter.

What products can I use to make my skin as great as possible if I can't go too heavy on the bronzer/contour? Or do any similarly pale MN's have any tips or tricks on how to look nicely made up without eye make up?

Tight lining for eyes on your upper lashes only + an eyelash curler may help you because if you do it properly it won't smudge and opens up your eyes like you are wearing false lashes.

It's kind of hard to describe how to do it - suspect there maybe videos. You need a flat thin brush like this:

www.lauramercier.com/eye-and-brow-brushes/flat-eye-liner-brush-prod220093.html

Pull up your eye lid by gently using the flat side of your middle finger to brush under your top lid eyelashes and then to pull the eye lid up so you can see the water line (the pink bit). Then use the brush with eye liner cake to gently line as close to the lashes underneath as you can. Then either do the same on top (above the lashes) or use a smaller round brush to do a line.

Give your eyelash curler a quick blast with a hairdryer to warm them (check on your hand it's not too hot as if you aren't careful you can burn yourself as the metal heats quickly). Then curl your lashes - the heat gives a curl that lasts all day.